Travel card could signal death of cash

THE CASHLESS society moves a step closer today. A large-scale trial will encourage London's commuters to use their Oyster travel cards to do their shopping as well as on buses and Tubes.

At present, 2.2m passengers use the plastic 'smart cards' on which they store credits to pay for their journeys. But London Transport chiefs want to expand the concept so that the cards can also be accepted at the 3,850 shops that sell bus and Tube passes.

The value of purchases will be deducted from a customer's card and save them the need to hand over cash.

Transport for London is already planning to remove all cash from buses by the start of next year to speed up boarding times. And TfL hopes to widen the Oyster card's use to suburban train lines serving London.

Jay Walder, finance director for TfL, said the plan to use the cards in shops 'is a significant step towards extending the convenience of Oyster even further'. She added: 'The dash to the cashpoint and worrying about small change for parking could be things of the past.'

Mayor Ken Livingstone said: 'Oyster is already making travel in London quicker and easier, by speeding up the bus service, cutting queues at Tube stations and helping to take cash off the buses. Now the smart-card technology can make Londoners' lives even easier. Oyster users will be able to pay for their car parking or for a pint of milk in the local shop with their Oyster card, instead of using cash.'

TfL has advertised for a technology partner to help roll out the Oyster cards by next year, with trials starting by the end of this year. A scheme has already begun in four London boroughs - Greenwich, Newham, Croydon and Lewisham - to allow library and leisure cards to double up as Oyster cards.